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14:13

Councillors approve the changes to Cambridgeshire children's centres

Councillors have backed the motion before them. 31 voted in support, 22 against and no abstentions.

14:10

We're heading for a vote...

Councillors are now going to be asked to vote on the proposals.

14:00

Council leader defends proposals

Cllr Steve Count, leader of the council, says: “Services are what make a difference. When we bring proposals forward we design it by the outcomes we want. We will look at the outcomes as we move forward.

“We’ve got to give this a chance. Re-designation will improve access across the piece.

“We’re putting £100,000 back into this process to fine tune it in a better way.

“There’s greater integration with community health, there’s a wider age range, there’s increased early years and child care capacity. The family access to health services is protected in the emerging offer. The creation of an online information portal is new.

“And there’s a saving of £900,000 by spending 7 per cent more on the frontline.”

13:45

'Re-designation does mean closure'

Leader of the council’s Lib Dem group, Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, says she is “furious” about the children’s centres proposals.

She says: “It has been suggested that re-designation doesn’t mean closure. Re-designation does mean closure, it means there will no longer be a children’s centre in that building.”

Cllr Nethsingha criticises the holding of a consultation on the proposals during August as “crass, insensitive and showing no real interest in the views of families”.

“I’m furious that the Conservatives claims these cuts are to save money. Earlier this year conservative councillors voted for a pay rise.

“The closures can be stopped, this council could find a way to find the money to fund these centres.”

13:40

Concerns over quality and quantity of provision in the future

Cllr Peter Downes says: “I’m not a person who thinks we should go on doing the same thing because we’ve always done it. I’m not opposed to the concept of change.

“The criteria by which I judge these proposals are the quality, quantity and accessibility of provision.

“The two that concern me are quality and quantity. I don’t think its good enough that frontline services are going tobe increased by 7 per cent.

“Its quite clear that accessibility is very varied across the county. If accessibility doesn’t work the people who suffer most are the most vulnerable, that’s what worries me about it.”

13:33

Emphasis on outreach important

Cllr Mathew Shuter explains how his support for the proposals have developed. He says: “I had doubts. I looked into it in more details. My centre in Bottisham is being re-designated. The more I’ve looked into it the more I realise this is the right response.

“All of the people I’ve spoken to would be thrilled if there was more emphasis on outreach. That’s the important difference. Finding those hidden people.

“I’m still hoping more funding will be found, but it needs to be put into an efficient system.”

13:16Tom Pilgrim

Council tax rises dismissed

Cllr Steven Tierney, who represents Wisbech West, criticises any suggestion that council tax rises could help maintain services in their current form.

He says: “There are people in my ward who would really feel that. I don’t think its fair to casually regard council tax rises as if they mean nothing.”

13:00Tom Pilgrim

'Fiscally illiterate'

He explains it costs £140,000 a year to keep a child in council care, on top of legal costs. He claims that five additional children from across the whole of Cambridgeshire going into care would mean the council’s children’s centres savings would “evaporate”.

12:49Tom Pilgrim

Looking at services is not something to be avoided

Cllr Peter Topping says: “The review that the county council has carried out has been to see whether the cost of the buildings that house children centre’s can be reduced and whether the location of the centres reflects the changing population of the county.

Cllr Topping supports the co-location of services for families in the county.

Commenting on Melbourn children’s centre’s proposed co-location with health services he adds: “75% of responders to the evaluation survey specifically said that co-location with health services would be welcome.

“It will be important for the impact of any changes to be understood and monitored, especially for young mothers having to travel to access these services.

“Cllr Bywater has sensibly agreed that that impact will need to be agreed in real time. “Taking a look at services we offer is not something that can be avoided.”

12:41Tom Pilgrim

'We are putting extra into frontline services'

Father of four, Cllr Paul Raynes says: “I noticed when the debate move from members of the public to members of the council all of a sudden party politics came into it.

“I don’t think this is about ideology, this is about the difficult decisions you have to make in order to run services.

“I was privileged to work with a Labour member of parliament, Graham Allen, on the 2011 review on early intervention. These services are crucial.

“This is about services and we have been discussing buildings and management and structures. We are saving on management and saving on buildings but we putting 7 per cent extra into frontline services.”

12:36Tom Pilgrim

Gross distortions of the truth

Conservative Cllr Anna Bailey slams the Liberal Democrat’s campaign around the children’s centre cuts, accusing them of grossly distorting the truth and running a “scaremongering campaign” of “distorted facts”.

She dismisses claims that the children’s centre in Sutton is threatened by the proposed changes.

She says: “All sessions will continue from the same building, the health worker will remain there. There will be an increase in nursery provision.

“These proposals aim to take out unnecessary costs of running children’s centre buildings. The frontline delivery of services are increasing.”

12:30Tom Pilgrim

How will families access services elsewhere?

Cllr Susan van Ven says she has been talking to families affected by the proposed closure of the Bassingbourn children’s centre.

she says: “Transport for young families without a car comes up every time, how will they access services elsewhere?”

She details the long journey facing a mother of two children under five years old to another centre in Cambridge. She estimates overall it would cost £22.70 and take up four hours of travel time.

12:19Tom Pilgrim

'Please don't do this'

Cllr Amanda Taylor issues a plea to councillors not to vote for the proposed changes.

She says: “When you have small children its more complicated to get places, maybe impossible, if you use public transport.

“Buses, if there are any, traffic and costs - its much more expensive to pop into your children centre if you have to get the bus.”

She describes speaking to parents about the support they received at their local children’s centre.

She says: “Teenagers of young parents at Romsey Mill who were taught to look after their babies, a family with adopted children whose centre was there for them when the going got tough.

“These were good outcomes. Think about the scenario with the centres.

“The teenage parents cannot cope and the children goes into care, a children’s learning problems are not spotted early enough and they fall behind at school, an adoption breaks down.

“These may sound alarmist but these things do happen. Closing 19 children centres across the county is a brutal act and will have an immense human cost.

“If you vote for these closures it will mean more medical need and higher costs on the NHS.

“These closures will affect those least able to stick up for themselves.

“Please don’t do this.”

12:12Tom Pilgrim

Warning of judicial review

Cllr Jocelynne Scutt warns councillors who vote to back the proposed children’s centres changes. She says: “You are opening this county council to a judicial review on every ground: one: procedural impropriety, two: illegality and three: irrationality.”

She lists a wide range of criticisms of the consultation process and highlights the council’s duty of care to families with looked after children.

She adds: “This is about pure ideology, ideology of a Conservative party that has no care whatsoever of the real people out in the community. You are damaging, destroying and denying children their rights.”

12:07Tom Pilgrim

Apologies from Steve Count

After further criticism from Cllr Donald Adey, Cllr Steve Count defends himself saying it was “unavoidable” that he missed the start of today’s meeting and that he was working on county council business.

12:04Tom Pilgrim

Efficiency savings of £900,000

Cllr Simon Bywater says it is essential that funding is spent on frontline service delivery and not overheads.

He explains the proposed children’s centres changes will make efficient savings of £900,000.

Twenty-seven buildings will remain as either children and family centres or family zones. The location of buildings will be determined by population numbers.

He says: “I can assure you today that there continues to be a full range of services for all children. New and first time parents will continue to be a priority.”

11:58Tom Pilgrim

Over 2,200 consultation responses

Cllr Simon Bywater outlines the depth of the council’s consultation saying more than 2,200 responses were submitted online.

He says: “Councillors can be assured this has been a full and meaningful consultation.”

11:55Tom Pilgrim

'Damaging and ill-thought through proposals'

Nicky Sheppard continues:

“My heart breaks for the thousands and thousands of people who will be affected by these proposals.

“For the babies and young children who will not have the support they need. For the communities that will not be formed for the mums in these villages.

“It is my honour to present this petition. All of these people agree with me that these proposals are damaging, ill thought through and will cause irrevocable damage to our communities.”

She asks members to vote against the proposals, to take them back and re-think them with proper consultation.

11:52Tom Pilgrim

Petition handed over

Local campaigner Nicky Sheppard speaks on behalf of a now 4,000 signature petition being handed over to the council.

She says: “I am the type of mum who will slip through the cracks if the cuts go ahead.

I had a difficult pregancy and emering c-sections and spent a wekk on special care baby unit. I dread to think what would have happen to me and my family if the lcoal worker at my children’s centres and not talked to me about speaking to my GP about post-natal depression.

“With no local network and no family in this country, I was reeling from the changes in my life. I was struggling to feed my baby and recover from my birth, Walking into that children’s centre was one of the hardest thing I did in my life. I am so glad that I did.

“I continued to go back almost every day. No matter how worried I was I know I could go and find a friendly face.”

Pay rise vs. children's centre cuts

Council leader Steve Count responds to the question, apologising first for arriving late.

He says: “Full council debated recommendations and this council decided to adopt an allowance structure align with the UK average for county councillors.

“The rise in the basic allowances was taken by all councillors of all political persuasions.”

11:44Tom Pilgrim

Discontent among members of the public

There’s some complaints from members of the public over the questioning process. Many can’t hear Simon Bywater speak and shout out that he’s not answering questions.

11:43Tom Pilgrim

'Cuts to affect well-being of families'

Neil Perry, CEO Romsey Mill Trust, say: “Please understand that our disagreement with the actual proposals being put forward does not come form a position for us being concerned about whats happening in Cambridge city it doesn’t come from an unwillingness to face change positively.

“We disagree because they contain certain recommendations that will not lead better outcomes for children and families and will not help to grow resilient and thriving communities.

“I’ve shared about the balance of investment in early intervention versus late intervention. Romsey Mill is one of the few examples in the county of a hub working.

“Proposing a further £900.000 cuts to early intervention budgets how can be believe this is going to enhance the well being of families.

'Backward step'

Andrew Baxter, Chair of the Governing Body of the Trumpington Federation expresses concerns about how children’s centres will work alongside schools.

He says: “Although the consultation document states that the County Council does not believe that there should be a “one size fits all” model for service delivery, Members are now being asked to approve a single approach to management, which excludes the possibility of delegation to schools and other providers with a proven track record.

“That a County Council which was a world leader in the delegation of responsibility to schools and in the outsourcing of a wide range of services should now embrace such a centralised and bureaucratic approach is, to say the least, disappointing and, I suggest, a backward step.”

Cllr Simon Bywater says the council is committed to collaborative working and that a 45 day consultation period will be put in place to during the roll out of changes within which management capacity will be “carefully considered”.

11:25Tom Pilgrim

Services to be protected

Cllr Simon Bywater says before and after school child care will be protected and the council is looking at proposals to find extra capacity to protect the school’s services.

11:23Tom Pilgrim

Protecting a 'vital service'

Karen Stanton, Headteacher at Caldecote Primary School asks:

“How is Cambridgeshire County Council going to ensure it fulfils its statutory obligation under The Childcare Act of 2006 that places a duty on the Local Authority to secure sufficient childcare for working parents and to support schools to offer and expand out-of-hours care.

“At Caldecote we have built up excellent school and holiday time wraparound care that services in excess of 120 working families, looking after up to 44 children daily.

“I am asking, on behalf of parents, governors and staff, how you are going to ensure Caldecote Children’s Centre will continue to be available for the school to provide this vital service?”

11:19Tom Pilgrim

27 buildings to remain in network

Simon Bywater explains that 27 buildings, child and family centres and zones, will be part of the council’s future provision.

He says: “We will be strengthening outreach provision. We share your desire to protect our most vulnerable families. Cambridgeshire County Council is committed to early intervention services.”

11:15Tom Pilgrim

Protecting hard to reach families

Retired council social worker Peter Wilson asks:

“What steps are proposed by the Council to measure, understand and mitigate against any negative impact of reducing the number of Children’s Centres from 38 to 10 specifically in relation to:

“a) hard-to-reach families whose resilience and quality of parenting might be impaired by the reduction in discrete, local, dedicated family support services - to the extent that their children are more likely to be assessed by social care as being ‘in need’ or whose welfare has to be safeguarded through statutory intervention by social care- with all the attendant costs of medium to long term social care involvement.

“b) the 3 priority groups referred to in the public consultation document (page 8) : 0-3 year olds; children with a disability; and children with “ identified support needs’.”

11:12Tom Pilgrim

Front row seat for the kids

We’ve had a re-jig of seats in the chamber to allow members of the public to sit closer to the action. A row of mothers hold up their young children behind councillors to a round of applause.

10:59Tom Pilgrim

'More flexible offer'

Cllr Simon Bywater, Chairman Children and Young People Committee, explains that the response to the children’s centres consultation was one of the highest the council had ever received.

He says the the councils proposals will allow a more flexible offer across Cambridgeshire. Where centres are closed outreach officers will be made available for families to access support.

Questions from the public begin

He also describes his “disappointment and outrage” that council leader Steve Count is not present to hear public questions.

He asks: “This council’s deeply flawed and ill-timed online consultation opened with the extremely leading question ‘Do you think that children’s services should be concentrated on those who need them the most?’

“Could councillors please explain to me how the closure of almost 50% of children’s centres can possibly achieve this aim, leading as it will to fewer centres based in the communities they serve and much greater distances to travel to the nearest centre, journeys which “those who need them the most” are least likely to have means to make.”